For general troubleshooting tips: see our Troubleshooting Guide
You may need to change one or multiple settings:
Voltage (0.5kV-30kV)
Pressure (low vacuum mode)
Spot Size (typically 3-4, or higher for EDS)
Scan Speed
If you change settings (voltage, spot size,) you will need to realign the beam (focus, aperture, stigmators.)
If the program stops responding, WAIT! Asking it to do more will take longer and may crash the program.
In low vacuum mode, the pressure affects resolution and charging.
If the sample is charging, try increasing the pressure or decreasing the voltage.
If the image is blurry after alignment, try decreasing the pressure.
If the image is blurry after increasing the pressure to reduce charging, increase the voltage.
Use the lowest pressure that yields a stable (not charging) image.
If the CPS and DT in EDS are very high or very low, ensure the chamberscope is paused.